When the City of Dallas launched its new payment system in March, some customers were caught off guard and now struggle to pay their bills online.
DallasGo launched on March 25 to replace the City’s old, outdated ePay system. The City website describes the system as a “more convenient” payment method to take care of bills. However, customers who spoke with NBC 5 DFW said the system is causing them headaches because information from the old system did not roll over, forcing them to re-register.
“We were in here last week and I did see several residents coming in complaining about issues they are having with the new system,” customer Zaida Benitez told NBC 5. “It took me a little over two hours. I know they were receiving multiple phone calls.”
“It was a headache since I have a lot on my plate,” Benitez added. “Having to — it wasn’t just one location, it was several locations I had to switch over to. For me, it was a headache.”
The system added security and is purportedly mobile-friendly, so customers can view and pay bills on smartphones and tablets in addition to computers. The City sent an email to residents advising them of the change, but many residents did not look at the information.
Residents need to know their account number to use the new system, which has presented a problem for many customers. Gary Gibson, a North Dallas resident, told The Dallas Morning News that because of paperless billing, he was unable to get his account number, and as a result, the new system would not allow him to re-authorize automatic payments.
“Seems odd they would switch systems to where I can’t see my old bills but also can’t even access the new system yet,” said Gibson in March, per DMN. “The last email I received did say a future email will be coming about how to set up an account.”
The City’s website states that customers who miss a payment will not be charged a late fee and that service will not be disconnected during the “transition period.” However, no announcement has been made about how long the transition period will last.